A fluid tank provided with a tank body, mouthpieces, and lids has previously been proposed as an aircraft water tank. The tank body includes a cylindrical section and dome sections provided on both sides of the cylindrical section. The mouthpieces is provided in the centers of the dome sections, and are in communication with the internal space of the tank body. The lids are configured to open and close the mouthpieces.
The cylindrical section of the tank body is provided with, for example, a piping nozzle for injecting water into the internal space; and a piping nozzle for supplying the water in the internal space to various places of the aircraft.
The piping nozzles are provided with a nozzle main body insertion hole provided in the cylindrical section; a nozzle main body; and a covering.
The nozzle main body includes a first cylindrical portion inserted through the interior and exterior of the tank body via the nozzle main body insertion hole; and a skirt portion provided at an end portion of the first cylindrical portion, that expands annularly from the end portion of the cylindrical portion in the interior of the tank body.
The covering includes a second cylindrical portion outside the tank body, through which the first cylindrical portion is inserted; and a flange portion that expands annularly from a base portion of the second cylindrical portion.
Additionally, the nozzle main body is attached to the tank body as follows.
First, an adhesive is applied to the skirt portion of the nozzle main body and the area around the nozzle main body insertion hole of the inner surface of the tank body. Additionally, an adhesive is applied to the flange portion of the covering and the area around the nozzle main body insertion hole of the outer surface of the tank body.
Next, the first cylindrical portion of the nozzle main body is inserted through the nozzle main body insertion hole from the interior of the tank body, and the skirt portion is pressed against the inner surface of the tank body.
Then, the second cylindrical portion is inserted into the first cylindrical portion, and the flange portion is pressed against the outer surface of the tank body.
This pressed state is maintained and the adhesive is cured.
Additionally, from the perspective of food hygiene, in order to prevent the adhesive from contacting the water, a coating material, which may contact water without causing any problems, is applied in the interior of the tank body at the boundary between the skirt portion and the inner surface of the tank body, thus covering the adhesive.
Conventional fluid tanks have various deficiencies. For example:
1) The nozzle main body is attached to the tank body using an adhesive and, as such, the work of applying the adhesive and the work of applying the coating material is labor intensive. Moreover, curing of the adhesive takes time and, during the curing of the adhesive, pressure is required to be applied to the nozzle main body and the covering. Consequently, it is difficult to improve efficiency of the work of attaching the piping nozzle.
2) The temperature and humidity suited for the curing of the adhesive is required to be managed. Consequently, locations are limited where attaching work of the piping nozzle can be performed.
3) Labor to accurately position the piping nozzle at the time of adhesion such that position shifts of the nozzle main body with respect to the tank body do not occur is cumbersome. Additionally, when a position shift does occur, a great deal of effort is needed to redo the adhering. Consequently, it is difficult to improve efficiency of the work of attaching the piping nozzle.
4) The adhesive and coating material described above are used and, as such, it is difficult to simply repair the piping nozzle. Rather, the entire fluid tank is required to be transported to the factory and repaired. Consequently, the piping nozzle cannot be simply repaired.